Ingot mold assembly



Feb. 9, 1937. E. GATHMANN INGoT MOLD ASSEMBLY Filed April l?, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .Mu/U

Feb. 9, 1937. E. GATHMANN I INGOT MOLD ASSEMBLY Filed April 17, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 U /VAZZ w W m WJ E Sum/M416.

' 5 Mold assemblies j Patented Feb. 9, 1937 Emil Gathmann,

Baltimore, Md., assignor to Gathmann Research Incorporated,- Catonsville, Md., a corporation of Maryland ApplicationApril 17, 1935, Serial No. 16,936 7'Claims. l (Cl. 22-95) This invention relates to ingot mold assemblies and more particularly to mold assemblies constructedI and arranged with a view to facilitating stripping of ingotsformed in the molds.

in accordance with the present invention are more especially adapted for use in connection' with stripping apparatus of the kind shown in my. prior Patents-1,059,667 and 1,059,668, both of April 225 1913, although 10 they may be used to advantage with other apparatus. In my prior patents there are disclosed apparatus for stripping ingots from big-end-up molds equipped with bottom stripping rods projecting belowthe bottom of the molds, such apparatus comprising in general means for bodily liftingsuch a mold and then positively lowering the mold with the lower end of the stripping rod in engagement with a fixed abutment, thus moving the rod relatively upward and stripping the ingot partially from the mold. Mold assemblies in accordance with the present inventionembody improvements over those disclosed in the prior patents referred to as regards both facility and speed of operation, and' length of life of essential 5 partsE .I

An object of the invention is to provide an improved mold assembly so constructed and arranged as to facilitate quick and accurate handling of the mold when setting up the assembly 0 preparatory to pouring and when moving the mold during the strippingoperation.

Another object is to provide a mold assembly of the character referred to including means for prolonging' the life of the stripper rod, which is 3D a relatively heavy and somewhat expensive part.

Other objects will become apparent from a reading of the following description, ythe appended claims, and the accompanying drawings,

\ 40 Figure@ is a vertical sectional view of a mold assembly embodying the invention and showing in elevation parts of a lifting and lowering mech- -lanism of the type disclosed in my prior Patent Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a` mold transfercar and three mold assemblies thereon, the molds being shown in different positions;

' Figure 3 is a top plan view of the parts disclosed in Figure 2 with the exception that the mold shown at the right hand end of Figure'3 is omitted from Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4 4 of Figure 3 and drawn on an enlargedscale; and

Figure 5 is a section taken on the line 5 5 of Figure 3 and drawn on an enlarged scale.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate only one embodiment of the invention, there is shown a mold car A serving as a mobile 5 support for three mold assemblies generally designated B, the mold of each containing a rimming steel ingot C, and mold-handling means generally designated D. The mold of the assembly B shown at the left 10 in Figure 2 is in the position occupied before the stripping operation has been commenced, the intermediate mold is in theposition occupied just before stripping has been effected, and the mold at the right is .in the`V position occupied 15 after stripping has been eiected.

Each mold assembly includes a stool-I supported on the car A and formed with a bottom pad or bo'ss 2- received by an opening 3 in the nate short of the bottom of the stool, providing the opening is deep enough to accommodate the entire projecting end of the stripping rod.

The parts described thus 'I'he mold then is moved horizontally to remove the stripping rod 'l from registration with the 50 stool opening'8, as indicated by the showing of the centermost of the intermediate mold in Figure 2. The lifting device 9 is then moved positively downward,l bringing the stripping rod 1 into engagement with the stool. Continued 55 relative upward movement of the ingot within the mold, causing the ingot and mold to occupy y the relative positions shown at the right in Fig- 5 ure 2. Preferably, in order to relieve the car of undue strains during the stripping operation, the stool is held against downward movement by means of holding arms II which are adapted to be moved under and then upward into engagement'wth lugs I3 on the stool, as described in my Patent 1,059,667.

In accordance with a feature of the present invention, the parts of the mold assembly are so constructed and arranged as to facilitate proper positioning of the molds 4while placing the molds on the stools preparatoryto pouring, and also to position the molds horizontally with respect to the stools during the stripping operation. For this purpose, each stool is provided with a recess IB spaced horizontally from the stool opening 8 and of less depth than the length of the downwardly projecting part of the stripping rod l. After a mold has been lifted from the position shown at the left in Figure 2, wherein the stripping rod 'I is in inoperative position, the mold is moved to the left until the stripping rod is directly above the recess 'I, as may be determined by observation. The mold is then lowered so as to cause the lower end of the stripping rod to engage the bottom of the recess and. this will occur before the mold proper has been lowered completely to the stool, so that furj ther movement of the mold in a downward direction will effect stripping of the ingot.l B y virtue of the provision of the recess I4, there 1s less likelihood of the operators lowering` the mold without due regard for its proper position- `ing relative to the associated stool,. and the danger of causing the mold or car to tip because of proper relative positioning is eliminated. As afurther aid to the proper and quick positioning of the mold, I prefer to provide the stools with guide means I5 extending upwardly from the sides of the stool and adapted to engage the of the molds between the guide means I5 may be further facilitated by chamfering the lower edges of the molds as indicated at I6. It will be understood that, when moving a mold from the 50 position shown at the left in Figure 2 to the position shown in the middle of Figure 2, the mold will be raised only far enough to bring the bottom end of the of the stool, the bottomA of the mold proper then 55 still extending below the tops of the guides I5. The mold is then moved horizontallyto Ythe left with respect to the stool until' its advancing corner faces bump against them-turned ends of the guides I5, after which the`mold will be low- 60 ered. The guide means I5 of cars are so located relative to the stool recess I4 as to guide the mold downwardly in such position that the stripping rod 1 will enter the recessv III. Although under present practice ingot niolds are made to fairly 55 close tolerances even as regards outside dimensions, I prefer to provide substantial clearances `between the guides I5` and the outside surfaces of the molds so as`to prevent any jamming duek to a poorly dimensioned mold. In order to make 70 sure, however, that the guides l5 will always guidethe mold downto a 'position in which the stripping rod I will enter either the stool opening 8 or the recess I4, clearances between the rod 1 and the opening and recess are provide@ and 75 are made considerably larger than the clearouter surfaces of the molds.v Initial introduction stripping 'rod above the baseA downward movement of the mold will then effect ances between the outside of the mold and the 'guidesA I5. Preferably, the outside clearance -should be about two-thirds as great as the clearances between the rod 1 and the stool opening and recess. p

Another important feature of the invention consists in the provision of means for prolonging the life of the stripping rods. These elements have to transmit considerable lifting effort, and necessarily are quite heavy and expensive, usually 'being constructed of steel. In use, the lower ends of the stripping rods heretofore have been brought down against a hard cast iron stool, and the tremendous pressures acting on the stripping rod have caused the lower end to become mashed and thus rendered unfit for further use, requiring frequent replacement. ,To overcome this diiculty, I have provided means for protecting the lower end of the stripping rod, in the form shown comprising an abutment of relatively soft material such as' a plate I'I which 'is carried by the Astool and p against which the lower end of the stripping rod is brought into engagement during the stripping operation. In the form shown, the plate I1 may be placed'removably within the stool recess Hi. It will be understood that the abutment Il should be of relatively soft material as compared to the material comprising the stripping rod l. Suitable materials are low lcarbon steel and wrought iron, although other materials are satisfactory provided of course that they are softer than the material of the stripping rod. It will readily be appreciated that the provision of the abutment II prevents damage tothe lower end of the strippingrod even in cases where the ingot has a tendency to stick in the mold, requiring the application of unusually large stripping pressure.

The abutments, of course, being relatively small;

as well as eliminating to a large extent the difficulties previously met in commercial operation because of improper positioning of the molds` K Moreover, the

during the stripping operation. useful life of the somewhat expensive stripping rods is materially lengthened, resulting in a lower net cost per ton of steel produced.

The/mold assembly shown by way of illustration embodies the invention in a practical and the, at present, preferred form, but it will be understood that changes may be made in the specific construction and relative arrangementv of the parts without departing from the invention as dened in the claims.

I claim:

1. In an ingot niold assembly of the class wherein a stripping device has its upper end positioned in an opening in the bottom of a horizontally and vertically movable mold and has its lower end portion extending downwardly below the bottom of the mold for engagement with a relatively stationary abutment when the mold is lowered forl effecting movement of the stripping device upwardly through the mold bottom opening and stripping of the ingot from the mold, the combination with said mold and stripping device of a stool upon which the mold is removably positioned, said stool having a vertically extending opening for receiving freely the lower end portion of said stripping device in inoperative position of the latter, and also having a recess ad- Jacent said opening but horizontally spaced therefrom and remote from,the edges of said stool, the bottom of said recess being engageable by the bottom end-of saidA stripping device upon movement of the mold and strippingdevice horizontally to a point over said recess and then downwardly, whereby the said bottom of the recess will act as an abutment to eiect upward movement of said stripping device relative to the mold;` and guide means xed to said stool and adapted to guide the mold, when the latteris being lowered, so as to bring said m'old bottom opening into substantial alignment with either the stool opening or the stool recess. l 2. In an ingot mold assembly of the class wherein a stripping device has its upper end positioned portion extending downwardly below thebottom of the mold for engagement with a relatively stationaryv abutmentwhen the mold is lowered for eecting lmovement of the stripping device upwardly through the mold bottom opening and tioned, said stool wardlyfwhereby the said bottom of the recess will actvas an abutment to effect upward movement of said stripping device relative to the mold,

Avvstripping device and the walls there being clearance between the mold and said guide means and larger clearances between -said of said stool opening and stool recess.

3. In an ingot mold assembly of the class wherein a stripping device hasits upper end positioned in an opening in the bottom of a horizontally and v vertically movable mold and has itslower end portion extending downwardly below the bottom of the mold for effecting movement of the stripping device upwardly throughJ the mold bottom opening and stripping of the ingot lfrom the mold, the combination with said mold and stripping device of a stool upon which the mo1d.is ,removably positioned, said stool having a vertically'extending opening for receiving freely the lower end portion'of said stripping tion oi the latter, and also having a recess adjacent said opening .but horizontally spaced therefrom, a. removable plate in thev bottom of the y to the mold, said. plate tion of the latter,

the mold is removably posi.

engagement with a relatively st/ationary abutment when the mold is lowered for device in inoperative posif 3 abutment to effect upstripping device relative being composed of softer material than said stripping device and stool.

4. In an ingot mold assembly of the class wherein a stripping device has its upper end positioned in an opening in the bottom of a horizontally and vertically lower end portion extending downwardly below the bottom of the mold for engagement with a' relatively stationary abutment when the mold is lowered for effecting movement of the stripping device upwardly through the mold bottom opening and stripping-of the ingot from the mold, the combination with said mold and stripping device of a stool upon which the mold is removably posihaving a vertically extending opening for receiving freely the lower end portion of said stripping device in inoperative posiand also having a recess adbut horizontally spaced thereplate in the bottom said plata will act as an ward movement of said jacent said opening from, a removable device horizontally to a point over said recess and then' downwardly, whereby said plate will act as an abutmentto eiect upsaid stripping devicelrelative ed of material Whichis relatively soft as compared to the material of which the stripper rod is formed.

connection with said opening. A Y 7. An ingot mold stool comprising a supporting guide recess adjacent to but having no connection with said opening: and a removable stripper rod abutment plate in movable mold and has its 

